SJCChicago Announces the Return of Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre Hit Production of Smokey Joe's Café - The Songs of Leiber and Stoller at the Royal George Cabaret Theatre

SJCChicago Announces the Return of Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre Hit Production of Smokey Joe's Café - The Songs of Leiber and Stoller at the Royal George Cabaret Theatre

Posted By SHOUTChicago.com, Community Contributor

Posted By SHOUTChicago.com, Community Contributor

SHOUTChicago.com, Community Contributor

Smokey Joe’s Features The Original Critically-Acclaimed Cast From Theo Ubique’s 2012 Engagement

Opening Night is Saturday, March 16 at 8 p.m.

CHICAGO – SJCChicago LLC is proud to present the return of Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre production of Smokey Joe’s Café – The Songs of Leiber and Stoller at the Royal George Cabaret Theatre, 1641 N. Halsted Ave. The hit production received rave reviews from Chicago critics when it ran at Chicago’s No Exit Café last fall. The transfer of Smokey Joe’s Café – The Songs of Leiber and Stoller features the same award-winning cast directed, once again, by Brenda Didier. This production’s musical direction is by Jeremy Ramey and Steve Hiltebrand serves as the associate director and associate producer. Smokey Joe’s Café runs Thursday, March 7 – Sunday, May 26. The performance schedule is Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 5 and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 and 6 p.m. Wednesday matinees will be at 2 p.m. on selected dates, to be announced. Previews begin Thursday, March 7 with opening/press night is Saturday, March 16 at 8 p.m. Ticket prices range from $25 - $46.50 and may be purchased in person at the Royal George Box Office (Tuesdays – Saturdays 12 p.m. – curtain), online at www.ticketmaster.com or by phone at 312.988.9000. For groups of 10 or more all Group Theater Tix at 312.423.6612. For more information on SJCChicago’s presentation of Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre’s Smokey Joe’s Café – The Songs of Leiber and Stoller visit www.SmokeyJoesCafeChicago.com.

Smokey Joe’s Café, originally presented, in it’s pre-Broadway engagement as Baby That’s Rock n Roll, the Songs of Leiber and Stoller at The Royal George Theatre in 1994, returns to its roots at The Royal George with the 2012 critically acclaimed Theo Ubique Cabaret production. The original Broadway presentation had a successful five-year run with 2,036 performances at the Virginia Theatre. Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, as much as anyone, virtually invented rock ‘n’ roll, and now their songs provide the basis for an electrifying entertainment that illuminates a golden age of American culture. Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre’s Smokey Joe’s Café – The Songs of Leiber and Stoller features nearly 40 of the greatest songs ever recorded, covering the classic themes of love won, lost and imagined blend with hilarious set-pieces and slice-of-life emotions, such as “Hound Dog,” “Love Potion #9,” “Yakety Yak,” “Charlie Brown,” and “Jailhouse Rock,” and with a cast of nine plus a four piece band, the return of this hit production is sure to bring sold out crowds to their feet once again.

Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre’s Artistic Director Fred Anzevino says, “We are thrilled that SJCChicago is presenting our show at the Royal George. Theo Ubique’s Smokey Joe’s great reviews and strong word of mouth, had a long waiting list of people wanting to see this sold out production. We know those audiences, as well as new ones, will return to witness the talents of this fantastic cast and the unforgettable classic songs now playing at The Royal George.”

ABOUT DIRECTOR BRENDA DIDIERDidier is a freelance choreographer/director based in Chicago and owns and directs the Lincolnshire Academy of Dance, now in its 14th successful season in a brand new 5000 square foot facility. Didier has received Joseph Jefferson Awards for both direction and choreography, After Dark Awards for choreography, the National Youth Theatre Award for choreography and the 2010 Broadway World Chicago fan favorite award for choreography. Didier has collaborated with Porchlight Music Theatre on eight productions, most recently The Gifts of the Magi and Putting It Together. She has served as a guest instructor/choreographer for Northwestern University, Columbia College, the University of Illinois- Champaign/Urbana, the University of Wisconsin-Parkside and Carthage College. Didier has choreographed musicals, industrials, special events as well as productions for Second City's mainstage and five installments of Cirque Shanghai at Navy Pier's Skyline Stage the summers of 2007-2012.

ABOUT ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR AND ASSOCIATE PRODUCER STEVE HILTEBRANDHiltebrand recently produced and directed the hit revival of The Rocky Horror Show at the Mercury Theatre, which was choreographed by Brenda Didier. Other past credits include The Marriott Theatre’s Jeff-nominated musical The Music Man (assistant director to Gary Griffin); Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at The Royal George Theatre (producer) and has created a variety of major projects seen on the stages of some of Chicago’s finest, and most prestigious, venues, including Drury Lane Oakbrook, House of Blues, Aragon Ballroom, Congress Theatre, Navie Pier Grand Ballroom and Union Station.

ABOUT SJCCHICAGO LLCSJCChicago LLC was created to present the commercial transfer of Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre’s Smokey Joe’s Café – The Songs of Leiber and Stoller. The managing directors are Jim Jensen and Gitta K. Jacobs. Jensen has been working professionally in the theater as a producer and general manager for more than thirty years. During that time he has been responsible for the production and management of more than 100 productions and concert attractions. Most recently he was co-producer and general manager of the Drury Lane Theater Water Tower Place in Chicago.. Currently, he is producer of concerts and manager of special projects for Drury Lane Oakbrook, overseeing all talent hiring and contract negotiations for the theater’s year-round season of plays and musicals. He was the general manager of Chicago’s Royal George Theater Center for fourteen years. Jensen was general manager for the Chicago transfer of the Broadway production of The Gin Game starring Julie Harris and Charles Durning, and co-producer of Forever Plaid, which ran for almost seven years in Chicago. He also produced the Milwaukee and Seattle productions of Forever Plaid, was co-producer of the first Chicago production of Forbidden Broadway and was associate producer of the Jeff Award-winning musical The Doyle and Debbie Show in Chicago. Jensen is also adjunct faculty at the Theater School at DePaul in the Theater Management Program.

Gitta K. Jacobs is actively involved in Chicago theatre as a producer, board member and supporter of new theater. She was an associate producer of the Chicago touring company of Angels in America at the Royal George Theatre and producer The Woman in Black at the Theatre Building and Double Exposure and Saint Nicholas by Conor McPherson at Victory Gardens Studio. She was a co-producer of Forever Plaid in Milwaukee and executive produced the full-length film A Woman in the Wind starring Colleen Dewhurst, which took first place at the Houston International Film Festival. She served on the Joseph Jefferson committee for 19 years and produced six Jeff Citation Awards shows for the committee. She also served as president of the Shattered Globe Co. for seven years.

ABOUT THEO UBIQUE (pronounced thee-oh oob-bah-kway)Theo Ubique began producing in 1997, first at the Heartland Studio Theatre, and then, in 2004, at the Michael James’s No Exit Café, where it began focusing on musicals and revues, reinventing the cabaret theatre trend in Chicago. Since then, Theo Ubique has produced 35 shows and received 30 Jeff Awards and three After Dark Awards. For more information on Theo Ubique visit www.theoubique.org.

SJCChicago LLC is proud to present the return of Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre production of Smokey Joe’s Café – The Songs of Leiber and Stoller at the Royal George Cabaret Theatre, 1641 N. Halsted Ave. The production runs Thursday, March 7 – Sunday, May 26. The performance schedule is Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 5 and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 and 6 p.m. Wednesday matinees will be at 2 p.m. on selected dates to be announced. Opening/Press night is Saturday, March 16 at 8 p.m. Ticket prices range from $25 - $46.50 and can be purchased in person at the Royal George Box Office (Tuesdays – Saturdays 12 p.m. – curtain), online at www.ticketmaster.com or by phone at 312.988.9000. For groups of 10 or more all Group Theater Tix at 312.423.6612. For more information on SJCChicago’s presentation of Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre’s Smokey Joe’s Café – The Songs of Leiber and Stoller visit www.SmokeyJoesCafeChicago.com. # # #